Australia on course for huge victory

England is facing defeat in the second Ashes Test after captain Joe Root fell in the final over of day four against Australia in Adelaide.

Root edged behind off Mitchell Starc to what proved to be the last ball of the day, as England closed on 82-4.

It was a bitter blow to the hopes of the tourist, which needs to bat out the final day for a draw, having been set a nominal 468 to win.

Root, unable to take the field at the start of the day because of injury, dug in for 67 balls for 24 and looked poised to end unbeaten alongside Ben Stokes, who is three not out from 40.

England had lost opener Haseeb Hameed in the second over of its innings when he gloved a rising length ball from Jhye Richardson behind for a duck.

Dawid Malan was trapped lbw for 20 by Michael Neser and Rory Burns batted for 95 balls, only to edge Richardson to second slip for 34. Earlier, despite losing three wickets for seven runs in a bizarre first session, Australia moved from 45-1 to 230-9 before declaring an hour before tea. On a turning track and with the benefit of another session under the lights possibly to come on day five, the host looks primed to take a 2-0 series lead.

England has looked destined for defeat in the game since collapsing on day three but had Root survived the last over there would have been slim hopes that a draw could be salvaged.

But, late in the Adelaide night and with five balls of Starc’s over left to survive, he pushed onto the front foot outside off stump and offered a thin edge through to Alex Carey.

Brief scores: Australia 473/9 decl. & 230/9 decl. in 61 overs (M Labuschagne 51, T Head 51) vs England 236 & 82/4 in 43.2 overs (J Richardson 2/17)